Taqah

Taqah (Arabic: طاقة‎) is a coastal town in the Dhofar governorate, in southwestern Oman. It is located at about 17°2′14″N 54°24′13″E.

Taqah
Town
Taqah scene
Taqah
Location in Oman
Coordinates: 17°2′14″N 54°24′13″E
Country Oman
GovernorateDhofar Governorate
Population
 (2010)[1]
 • Total18,218
Time zoneUTC+4 (+4)

History

In 1908, J.G. Lorimer recorded Rakhyut in his Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf, noting its location as the easternmost village in the Dhufar Proper two miles west of Khor Rori and 20 miles west of Mirbat. He wrote:

A village of about 20 mud huts and one stone building, chiefly inhabited by Ma'ashani Qaras. There are three or four families of Sharifs and a few of Mashaikh; these latter classes act as mediators and go-betweens to the Bedouins, among whom their persons are sacred, and they take charge of the flocks and herds of Bedouins while in the plains.

The mountains here come down close to the sea and make a pleasing background. There are many ancient remains, standing columns, stone sarcophagi, etc. There was formerly a good harbour here, but it has now become silted up. This, with a little outlay, could be re-opened.[2]

Places of interest
  • Approx. 2 km after the western entrance to the town there is a mosque named Shaikh Al-Afeef (Arabic: الشيخ العفيف). In its cemetery Mazoon al-Mashani, the mother of Sultan Qaboos, is buried. Under identical marble gravestones an uncle and a grandfather of the Sultans are buried.[3]

See also

References
  1. Sultanate of Oman, Ministry of National Economy: Statistical Year Book, Thirty-Ninth Issue - November 2011, section 2-8, p. 12; (data of census of population, 2010)
  2. "'Gazetteer of Arabia Vol. I' [544] (575/1050)". Qatar Digital Library. Retrieved 26 November 2019. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. Cf. Plekhanov, Sergey: A Reformer on the Thrones: Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said, London: Trident press, 2004, p. 279.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.